Part 50 (2/2)

When the King opened his eyes, revived by salts and potent essences which had been applied to his lips and temples, he for one instant beheld himself surrounded by pages, who withdrew as soon as he opened his eyes, and he was once more left alone with the Cardinal. The impa.s.sible minister had had his chair placed by that of the King, as a physician would seat himself by the bedside of his patient, and fixed his sparkling and scrutinizing eyes upon the pale countenance of Louis.

As soon as his victim could hear him, he renewed his fearful discourse in a hollow voice:

”You have recalled me. What would you with me?”

Louis, who was reclining on the pillow, half opened his eyes, fixed them upon Richelieu, and hastily closed them again. That bony head, armed with two flaming eyes, and terminating in a pointed and grizzly beard, the cap and vestments of the color of blood and flames,--all appeared to him like an infernal spirit.

”You must reign,” he said, in a languid voice.

”But will you give me up Cinq-Mars and De Thou?” again urged the implacable minister, bending forward to read in the dull eyes of the Prince, as an avaricious heir follows up, even to the tomb, the last glimpses of the will of a dying relative.

”You must reign,” repeated the King, turning away his head.

”Sign then,” said Richelieu; ”the contents of this are, 'This is my command--to take them, dead or alive.'”

Louis, whose head still reclined on the raised back of the chair, suffered his hand to fall upon the fatal paper, and signed it. ”For pity's sake, leave me; I am dying!” he said.

”That is not yet all,” continued he whom men call the great politician.

”I place no reliance on you; I must first have some guarantee and a.s.surance. Sign this paper, and I will leave you:

”When the King shall go to visit the Cardinal, the guards of the latter shall remain under arms; and when the Cardinal shall visit the King, the guards of the Cardinal shall share the same post with those of his Majesty.

”Again:

”His Majesty undertakes to place the two princes, his sons, in the Cardinal's hands, as hostages of the good faith of his attachment.”

”My children!” exclaimed Louis, raising his head, ”dare you?”

”Would you rather that I should retire?” said Richelieu.

The King again signed.

”Is all finished now?” he inquired, with a deep sigh.

All was not finished; one other grief was still in reserve for him. The door was suddenly opened, and Cinq-Mars entered. It was the Cardinal who trembled now.

”What would you here, sir?” said he, seizing the bell to ring for a.s.sistance.

The master of the horse was as pale as the King, and without condescending to answer Richelieu, he advanced steadily toward Louis XIII, who looked at him with the air of a man who has just received a sentence of death.

”You would, Sire, find it difficult to have me arrested, for I have twenty thousand men under my command,” said Henri d'Effiat, in a sweet and subdued voice.

”Alas, Cinq-Mars!” replied the King, sadly; ”is it thou who hast been guilty of these crimes?”

”Yes, Sire; and I also bring you my sword, for no doubt you came here to surrender me,” said he, unbuckling his sword, and laying it at the feet of the King, who fixed his eyes upon the floor without making any reply.

Cinq-Mars smiled sadly, but not bitterly, for he no longer belonged to this earth. Then, looking contemptuously at Richelieu, ”I surrender because I wish to die, but I am not conquered.”

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